Aetna Introduces New Health Insurance Options for Individuals and Their Families in Florida

Aetna (NYSE:AET) will launch health plans for individuals and their families in Florida, effective December 15, as announced earlier today at the Florida Governor's Cabinet Meeting. The plans are designed to provide affordable, comprehensive health coverage options for individuals and their families. In addition, Aetna is offering a voluntary dental benefit with these new plans.



"Aetna is committed to addressing the health insurance needs of the growing uninsured and under-insured population," said Laurie Brubaker, Aetna's national general manager for Individual Markets. "In Florida, there are more than 3.2 million people - or 19 percent of the population - who are uninsured."(1)



"We also are dedicated to meeting the health benefits needs of individuals who directly purchase health care for themselves and their family members," Brubaker added. "Our plans are designed to address unique needs during particular stages in life such as graduating from college, getting married, raising a family, becoming a sole proprietor, being between jobs or retiring early."



"We are pleased that Aetna has taken the initiative to offer plans for individuals and their families in Florida," said Kevin M. McCarty, commissioner, Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. "Aetna has a strong national brand and a growing presence in this state. The addition of these plans will provide Florida residents greater choice and flexibility in finding health care plans that appropriately address their needs."



New Plans Offer Broad Choices



Aetna is offering individuals and their families several standard plans, effective December 15. All of the plans offer members the freedom to go directly to any doctor, hospital or health care professional - including specialists - for covered services. If a member chooses a health care professional from Aetna's extensive network of participating physicians and hospitals, out-of-pocket costs will be lower.



All Florida plans also feature coverage for routine checkups and preventive care, specialty care, hospitalization and surgery, diagnostic testing and emergency care, subject to applicable copayments, coinsurance and deductibles. In addition, there are no in-network claim forms, and no referrals are required for members to see specialists. Some of the plans also include prescription drug coverage, subject to a deductible, copayments and calendar-year maximum.



Value Plans, HSA-Compatible Plans and Dental Plan Available



For those people who wish to purchase more affordable plans, there are "Value" plans which offer members similar benefits to the standard plans but have lower premium payments. In exchange for lower premiums, members must reach their annual deductible payments for doctor's office visits to be covered.



Aetna is also offering High-Deductible plans that are compatible with the Aetna HealthFund(R) Health Savings Account (HSA). The plans offer members lower premiums in exchange for higher annual deductibles. Members can take advantage of a flexible health benefits plan paired with an HSA. HSAs are tax-advantaged accounts used to pay for qualified medical expenses. HSA contributions are tax deductible and earn interest tax free. HSAs are portable, and unused balances can be carried forward from year to year, making them a strong value for consumers.



Members have the option to enroll in the Florida Dental PPO Max Plan at the time of their medical election. The Dental PPO Max Plan allows members to receive quality dental care from participating dentists and nonparticipating dentists. Participating dentists have agreed to provide certain services at a negotiated rate, which means members generally pay lower out-of-pocket costs.



"We are very excited that Aetna will now be offering health insurance plans for individuals and their families in Florida," said Wes Fischer, president of The Health Insurance Store, a Kissimmee-based independent agency specializing in health insurance and employee benefits programs. "We value, as do our clients, health insurance companies that offer multiple product lines, such as group plans, Medicare plans and plans for individuals and their families. A majority of our clients are familiar with Aetna, and we believe there will be strong consumer interest in these new individual plan options."



Additional Services Included



In addition to plan benefits, through the Vision One(R)(2) discount program, Fitness Program and Alternative Health Care Programs, members may access discounted rates from certain providers for products and services available to the general public. The Vision One program offers special member discounts on eye care products and services at participating optical centers. The Fitness Program provides special membership rates at participating fitness clubs contracted with Global Fit(3) and discounts on certain equipment. The Alternative Health Care Programs offer reduced rates on alternative therapies for members, including visits to chiropractors, acupuncturists, nutritional counselors and massage therapists. Members can also save on over-the-counter vitamins and nutritional supplements through the Vitamin Advantage(TM) program.



In addition to Florida, Aetna plans for individuals and their families are currently being sold directly to consumers or through independent insurance agents and brokers in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Additional information about Aetna's plans for individuals and their families is available at www.aetna.com/members/individuals/ or by calling 1-800-MY-HEALTH or your insurance agent.



As one of the nation's leading providers of health care, dental, pharmacy, group life, disability and long-term care benefits, Aetna puts information and helpful resources to work for its approximately 14.65 million medical members, 13.03 million dental members, 9.34 million pharmacy members and 13.68 million group insurance members to help them make better informed decisions about their health care and protect their finances against health-related risks. Aetna provides easy access to cost-effective health care through a nationwide network of more than 700,000 health care professionals, including over 418,000 primary care and specialist doctors and 4,231 hospitals. For more information, please visit www.aetna.com. (Figures as of September 30, 2005)





(1) Urban Institute and Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the

Uninsured estimates based on pooled March 2003 and 2004 Current

Population Surveys, www.statehealthfacts.org. Accessed November

21, 2005.



(2) Vision One is a registered trademark of Cole Managed Vision.



(3) Global Fit is a trademark of Global Affiliates, Inc.